Italian Appetizers

Italian appetizers include a variety of interesting dishes. I guess such a huge variety of dishes in the appetizer course is only available in Italian cuisine. There are antipastos, salads, herbal breads, etc. which offer us a huge variety of dishes to prepare and relish. As a matter of fact, this cuisine is also known for a wide variety of spicy sauces.

These sauces can be used as salad dressings too. You can make use of these ideas to prepare some innovative and delicious dishes. Having said that, enlisted below are some easy recipes for preparing delicious dishes.

This may not be the most healthy recipe, but it is, nevertheless, counted amongst good Italian appetizers. This dish comprises spaghetti cooked along with potatoes, onions, ginger, chili powder, etc. If you are a vegan, then this is a great recipe for you.

Ingredients

• Cooked Spaghetti, 1 cup
• Onion, (chopped) 1
• Ginger, (Chopped) 2 tsp.
• Green Chilies, (chopped) 2 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp.
• White Sauce, as per taste and thickness
• Cooked Potatoes, ½ cup

• Cooked Peas, ¼ cup
• Salt, according to taste
• Black Pepper, ½ tsp.
• Bread Crumbs
• Cooking oil (preferably olive oil)

Method

• Put about 1 tsp. cooking oil in a pan and heat it.
• Add onions and sauté them till they are soft and translucent.
• Now add ginger, green chilies, red chili powder along with salt and pepper.
• Let the mixture cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.

• In a mixing bowl, add the sautéed onions, potatoes, peas, white sauce, and cooked spaghetti.
• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Roll the ingredients in bread crumbs.
• Pour some oil on a skillet and fry the roll till light brown in color.
• Serve it hot.

All of you will agree with me, when I say that bruschetta is amongst the most famous as well one of the most authentic Italian dishes. Once you know how to prepare bruschettas, you will make them on a regular basis.

Ingredients

• Italian bread, (cut into slices of 1 inch thickness)
• Tomatoes, (finely chopped) 2
• Basil (chopped) 1 tsp.
• Parsley, (chopped) 2 tsp.
• Sweet Onion, (chopped) ½ cup
• Oregano, (chopped) 1 tsp.
• Mozzarella Cheese, (grated) ¼ cup
• Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tsp.

Method

• Heat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
• In a mixing bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, onion, oregano, parsley, basil, and olive oil.
• Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and layer it with one spoonful of the mixture.

• Now sprinkle grated cheese and bake the bread in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Check the bottom of the slices to know, if bruschetta is ready.
• When the bruschetta is ready, let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, before you serve it.

The antipasto appetizer salad is an important part of the Italian cuisine. There are different ways of preparing this pasta salad. However, now we will see a simple recipe for preparing it.

Ingredients

• Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Strips, (drained) 16 oz.
• Grape Tomatoes, 1 cup
• Marinated Quartered Artichoke Hearts, (undrained) 7 ½ oz.
• Pimiento-Stuffed Olives, (drained) 7 oz.
• Pitted Ripe Olives, (drained) 6 oz.

• Mozzarella Cheese, (cubed) ½ lb.
• Romaine lettuce, (roughly chopped)
• Dried Basil, 1 tsp.
• Dried Parsley, 1 tsp.
• Pepper to taste

Method

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients other than the lettuce.
• Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 to 5 hours.
• Add roughly chopped lettuce to the mixture and serve.

These were some of the easy and healthy recipes, which you may want to try. From the dishes mentioned above, I am sure you now understand that they are not necessarily unhealthy. You can certainly enjoy some great appetizers without having to worry about the calories.